Short Read (For those on the go)
Tres is a contemporary restaurant which bursts across the myth of bland European food. The food literally explodes in your mouth, similar to what happens when you consume a Chole Bature. Sure shot recommendations include the Chicken Liver Pate, Goat cheesecake, the Roulade and the slow cooked Lamb Shoulder.
Long Read (For those who like to read)
The emergence of contemporary food in Delhi has been probably most profound over the last half a decade. Although Delhi had it’s share of cuisine based restaurants, most of them were specific cuisines which tended to be grouped around the 5 star hotels. But with the recent exposure of Indians to a whole new experience of food outside the country, so has the corresponding changes taken place inside the country. With the people willing to pay a good buck for taste, newer restaurants which are advancing the art of contemporary cooking are coming to the fore.
One of these restaurants is Tres. Owned by the duo of Jatin Mallick and Julia Desa , this 40 odd seater restaurant is located in the serene Lodhi Colony where a lazy Sunday Brunch would be something that you would really welcome. Chef Jatin’s winter menu is resplendent with heavy sauces and warm earthy flavours. We are set up with glasses of mulled wine as I drift conversations over how I don’t like my wine altered but you can’t really say something if the approval comes from Home Ministry. But, before we start on the food one small moment on pondering. Have you ever realised how complicated the names of contemporary dishes are? Read on and you will know what I am talking about.
The appetizers start getting the juices flowing with a Savory Baked Goat’s Cheesecake with Salt Roasted Beetroot, Orange Balsamic, Micro Beetroot Sponge and Apple Walnut dressing. This is probably something that we are going to repeat quite a few number of times but the variety of textures along with the combination of salt from the cheese and acidity from the citrus along with a slight tang of sour blows your mind away at the start. A platterful of mushrooms arrives at the table. Like Chef Jatin says “Simple pleasures of life”, the platter bringing together Portobello and Shittake from our own Himachal Pradesh are lightly tossed in olive oil with some garlic. The dish truly defines the essence of “Less is More”. The conversation with Snigdha in the meantime to the destruction done by our mothers in creating the typical Bengali mushroom dishes.
One of the dishes which throws off a multitude of flavours is the Chicken Liver Parfait with a Mulled Wine Jelly, Grape and Red Pepper Compote along with toasted slices of Brioche. Complicated enough? The flavours of a Liver Parfait are something that might take getting used to. It’s Umami along with sweet and has a beautiful creamy texture. Once you get used to it, it’s something you can savour every time. The Brioche is a perfect accompaniment with it’s crispiness whereas the sweet acidity and spice from the grape compote just takes the dish to another level altogether. Meanwhile, Snigdha wants to have some Keema Kaleji. It always reaps rich rewards to sit with someone who still remembers the spicy Indian food sitting in a contemporary setting.
The Herb crusted Scallop and Prawn Roulade and the Spinach and Herb Cheese Roulade explode upon the palate with the bold robust flavours that Jatin promised but it’s the beautiful use of air dried ham and butternut squash puree that impresses us more. We move onto the mains as our bellies growl in protest. Our recommendations include a Mustard crusted Sea Bass with Potato Terrine, wilted Spinach and pommery and Crab Veloute and a Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder Pave with crushed Potatoes, roasted Bell Peppers, Bell Pepper Lamb Jus and Spiced Aubergine Puree. Phew! That took some writing. Although making out individual components like the judges of Masterchef Australia is not recommended, but it’s the beautiful combination of flavours that leaves you amazed. Take for example the hit of mustard with the slight sweetness of the crab on the beautiful flaky texture of the fish.
Jatin brings out his prized possession and instead of being a dish, it is his Executive Chef Jamsheed who proceeds to dazzle you with his mastery of the dessert section. There’s a 63% Belgium chocolate soufflé for all you chocolate lovers out there. It is combined with a beautiful Expresso Crème Anglaise. There’s a contemporary twist to the Crème Brulee a la Tres which we will let you discover out for yourselves and a Fresh Strawberry and Yoghurt Pannacotta with a spicy, fresh Strawberry salsa.
So, next time you are in the mood for taking your tastebuds out for a journey, try out one of Chef Jatin’s menus at Tres. Busting across a lot of myths that actually tell you that European food is bland, the food at Tres will literally make you salivate for more
P.S: This was one hell of a tiring post with the names. We’d really like if you could drop in your suggestions below for the Keema Kaleji and tell us your experience at Tres.
Where: Main Market, Lodhi Colony
For two: INR 3000
